Dear Friend: A Letter from Your Valentine

I know you hate Valentine's Day. I know how you feel bombarded by things that emphasize what you lack. I know the dread of being asked what your Valentine's night will hold and the deep loneliness you feel as each person tells of their excitement and plans.

We place such an emphasis on relationships because they are good and beautiful things, but sometimes we forget what this day is really about…

St. Valentine, whose feast we celebrate today, was a Bishop who was imprisoned for his faith. While he was in prison he spent time writing letters of encouragement to his people. He told them not to lose hope and how greatly God loved each one of them.

Today, I want you to know how deeply you are loved. I can’t begin to tell you how much God loves you, so I thought I would let him do it:

“How beautiful you are, how pleasing, my love, my delight.”

Song of Songs 7:7

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.”

Jeremiah 1:5

“With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.”

Jeremiah 31:3

“I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you.”

Isaiah 49:15-16

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.”

John 15:9

See how immensely you are loved?

Because of his friendship with God, St. Valentine knew of God’s great love and could not help but share it with everyone. Today we too are reminded of God’s great love and friendship, and our call to love others just as God loves us. This is something we should remember every day and can work on all year long.

How do we do this? How do we remember how much God loves us and increase our love of God and neighbor? I want to share with you some things that have helped me.

Is there a passage in Scripture or from a saint that inspires you or reminds you how much God loves you? Try writing it out and placing it somewhere you will see each day.

Begin and end each day with a prayer. It can be something simple like an Our Father. If you already do this, try adding an extra prayer time to your day or week. The more time you spend talking with him the stronger your friendship with God will grow.

Focus on the positive things in life! Instead of talking about the negative attributes someone might have, try finding something good to focus on instead. Make time to do the things you enjoy. God wants you to be happy and there are so many things in this world that are good and meant to be enjoyed.

Do random acts of kindness for those you love and complete strangers. Showing others how much I care for them helps me to stop focusing only on myself. It also reminds me that I am not alone.

My dear friend, you are never alone. Do you know how much I love you? God loves you infinitely more. I cannot always be with you, but God is always there. I hope this letter helps and that with time St. Valentine’s Day will no longer be a source of pain for you, but a day to celebrate how much you are loved.

Christina Emilian works for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in the Office of Catechesis. She received her bachelor’s and master’s in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. Christina is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne with her extended family including her three sisters and brother (yes, he knows he is blessed among women).